Andrew Miller

Coming off a historic 2016 season, Miller missed time with patellar tendinitis in his knee and failed to approach his lofty 44.7 strikeout percentage from the previous season. He lost about one mph on...

Miller had a historically elite season for a non-closer reliever last season. He struck out 45 percent -- FORTY FIVE PERCENT!! -- of the batters he faced in 2016 while holding them to a .159 batting average. That was the third consecutive season in which Miller has struck out at least 40 percent of the batters he's faced while holding them below a .160 batting average. For all of that amazing dominance, he has 49 saves over the past three seasons. Miller has been a sabermetric dream for relief pitcher usage, but he really took off after a midseason trade to Cleveland under Indians manager Terry Francona, who used him to put out early fires while eschewing the traditional usage of the team's best reliever for later innings. Miller would be an amazing full-time closer again if Cleveland were to trade Cody Allen, but the team seems quite willing to use Miller in a multitude of hats. Not piling up saves at a steady clip deflates his rotisserie value a bit, but Miller is still a better choice than many starting pitchers thanks to his excellent ratios and top-end strikeout rate.

2016

Miller's dominant 2014 season earned him a four-year, $36 million contract with the Yankees, but despite the price tag he entered the year figuring to either be in a time-share for the closer role with Dellin Betances or to serve as the setup man. Though manager Joe Girardi hesitated to officially tab an official closer early in the season, Miller was the clear winner of the competition as he proved his 2014 campaign wasn't a fluke. The lefty converted 36 of 38 save opportunities, working to a 2.04 ERA (2.16 FIP), while reaching 100 strikeouts for the second year in a row as he boasted a 100:20 K:BB ratio in 61.2 innings of work. Aroldis Chapman, who the Yankees acquired in the offseason, was hit with a 30-game suspension for a domestic incident, so Miller should assume the closing duties until the second week of May. However, at that point he will likely be relegated to a setup role with Chapman taking the ninth inning.

2015

Miller showed glimpses of greatness after a transition to the bullpen as a member of the Red Sox in 2012 and 2013. His strikeout rate essentially doubled to better than 30 percent, but the walk rate continued to be a problem, with a 12 percent mark in those two seasons. He was an improvement in command and control away from being truly special. Well, thatís exactly what happened in 2014, as he sliced his walk rate in half, upped the strikeout rate substantially and became one of baseballís best relievers. Gone were the gaudy BABIPs that haunted him throughout most of his career, and the absurd 20.0% HR/FB rate from 2013 fell to a far more normal 8.6%. Nobody stood a chance against Miller, and a trade to Baltimore put him in the limelight to showcase that talent. This all came at a perfect time as the 30-year-old was able to cash in in the form of a four-year, $36 million contract with the Yankees. He figures to at least challenge Dellin Betances for the ninth-inning job, but even if he doesn't close for New York, Miller should still hold value in a setup role.

2014

Miller continued his fine work out of Boston's bullpen before a foot injury ended his season in July. He's the first choice to face left-handed hitters and dazzled by striking out 14.1 batters per nine innings. He still has control issues. It hasn't hurt him as a reliever, but there's potential for it to be a problem. He walked 5.0 batters per nine innings in 2013. If the foot is good when spring rolls around, Miller will return as one of the left-handers out of the pen.

2013

Miller turned in the best performance of his career in 2012, his first season as full-time reliever. He reduced his walk rate (4.5 BB/9), though it is still far from optimal, and increased his strikeout rate, whiffing nearly three times as many batters as he walked. He was particularly tough on lefties (.149), and leading off innings (.087). It would appear the shift to the bullpen has allowed him to focus on being aggressive and not having to worry about setting up hitters. While the walks might be troublesome at some point, we are not arguing with the results. He will return to Boston's bullpen in 2013, serving as a lefty specialist in a seventh-inning role.

2012

Miller had a very dominant three-week stretch for Triple-A Pawtucket just as an opt-out clause in his contract was set to kick in, and he parlayed that into a regular role as a starting pitcher for Boston during mid-summer. Unfortunately, after a period of modest success in wins over Pittsburgh, Houston, and Baltimore, Miller lost the command he showed for the PawSox and was out of Boston's rotation entirely. He got a few more starts as the Red Sox collapsed late and remains on the 40-man roster for now. There's still hope Miller can consistently repeat his delivery over longer stretches and iron out the valleys.

2011

Miller's time in Florida drew to a disappointing close, as it seemed like he had more injuries than big league victories. With his development time constantly interrupted and derailed the lanky lefty has become a mechanical mess, with his already shaky control actually regressing. The Red Sox will take a shot at rebuilding his delivery (and his confidence) but Miller's odds of having any value seem very long.

2010

Various injuries once again kept Miller from pitching much more than about 100 innings in 2009, and once again his numbers were nothing special when he was healthy. Repeatable mechanics, not raw stuff, continue to be the issue for the lanky lefty, and his health woes aren't helping him on that front. Consider him the high-risk/high-reward poster boy, since at this point he seems just as likely to emerge as a bust as he does an ace.

2009

Miller's numbers were as unsightly as they were the year before, but once again he did enough to tease those who see a future ace in his tall frame and raw stuff. His HR/9 and BB/9 rates improved, and for two months midseason he looked like a bona fide major league hurler (3.36 ERA, 1.26 WHIP over 11 May/June starts) before his right knee became a problem again and derailed his progress. The knee is a major concern but he's still be just 23 when the season begins and Miller has plenty of time to put it all together, so a buy-low opportunity may be presenting itself here if his midsummer performance was more than just a mirage.

2008

The Tigers gave Miller an opportunity to join their rotation last season after putting Nate Robertson on the disabled list. Miller managed to stick around for a few months but he was ineffective. Command was the major problem as his 56:39 K:BB ratio. A hamstring injury kept Miller sidelined for much of August and when he returned to the majors he remained inconsistent. The Tigers opted to shut him down in early September to work on his mechanics but that didn't happen due to patellar tendinitis in his knee. Miller was traded to Florida in December where he'll likely earn a rotation spot.

2007

Miller was Detroit's top pick last season and the consensus best player in the draft. He complements a high 90s fastball with a power slider and cut fastball. His future is as a starter but because Detroit was in a playoff race last season the team decided to call up the talented lefty at the end of August to add another southpaw to their pen. Miller didn't perform as well as he would have liked but that shouldn't be held against him by fantasy owners. He'll likely open next season at Double-A but could move quickly if he dominates. He could join the Tigers rotation as early as 2008.